Improvement in spice-boxes



G. W. PUT'NAM.

- SPICE-BOX.

Na. 178.878. Patented- June zo, 1876.

' TLPETERS. PHOTO-UTHDGRAFHEIH, WASHINGTON, D C.

' PATENT Enron.

GEORGE W. PUTNAM, OF BILLERIGA, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO CHARLESALBERT SHAW, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPICE-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 78 ,878, dated J une20, 1876; application filed December 11, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. PUTNAM, of Billerica, in the county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Spice-Boxes, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompany.-

after more fully set forth and claimed, by

means of which the same are not only adapted for ready use as dredgersfor domes tic purposes, but greatly simplified and cheapened.

It is well known that a large proportion of all the spices and othersimilar condiments sold at the present day are packed or put up in boxesor cans so constructed as to render them suitable for dredge-boxes, thespice being dredged or sifted directly from the original box orpackage-that is to say, the spice is put up or packed in regulardredgeboxes provided with means for closing the sieves or perforations,in such a manner as to securely retain the contents duringtransportation, and when not in use as dredgers, thus dispensing in agreat measure with the necessity of employing independent dredge-boxes.

Itis also well known that nearly all boxes of this character in ordinaryuse are objectionable for various reasons, the principal being the lackof simplicity in construction,

rendering their employment as dredgers sometimes difticult,,aud alsogreatly increasing the cost of manufacture.

My improvement is designed to obviate these objections; and to that endI make use of means which will be readily obvious to all conversant withsuch matters from the following description.

In the drawing, A represents the body of the box or can, which isprovided upon one side, near its top, with a series of perforations, B.The cover 0 is constructed with an annu- Iar thimble or flange, 0,having an elongated lateral opening, D, so disposed that when the coveris in position on the box the opening may be made to correspond inposition with the perforations B, as shown in Fig. 2.

To convert myimproved box into a dredger it will be seen that it is onlynecessary to turn or revolve the cover until the perforations B areexposed through the opening D, and when not desired for use as a dredgerthe cover may be adjusted to close the perfo- 1 rations.

It will be seen that the flange a is made to serve a double purposeviz.,to hold the cover in position on, the box, and also as a means ofopening andclosing the outlets through which the spice is dredged, thusgreatly simplifying and cheapening thearticle.

I prefer to make the box with the opening D in the flange of the cover0, and the perforations B in the body A; but it will be obvious that therelative position of thesemay be reversed without departing from thespirit of my invention, the essential feature of which consists in aspice box or can having lateral perforations through which the contentsmay be dredged or sifted, and provided with a cover so constructed andarranged to operate that the perforations may be closed as desired bymanipulating the cover.

Having thus explained my inven tion, what I claim is- 4 1. A spice boxor can having lateral perforations through which the contents may be 211s svs dredged or sifted, and provided with a cover cover 0, providedWith the opening D, comso constructed and arranged to operate thatbined-to operate substantially as and for the the perforations may beclosed by manipnlatpurpose set forth and specified.

ing the cover, substantially as and for the GEORGE W. PUTNAM. purposeset forth and specified. Witnesses: 2. A spice box or can having thebody A, G. A. SHAW,

provided with the perforations B, and the H. E. METGALF.

